Gov. Ricketts defends his request to block Syrian refugees

Gov. Pete Ricketts has defended his decision to request agencies not accept Syrian refugees until Nebraska can participate in their vetting process.

Ricketts said during a news conference safety and security must be considered first in any refugee resettlement efforts.

“I think the events in Paris demonstrate that we’ve got to be concerned about what’s going on in the Middle East and ISIS and to make sure we’re taking the steps necessary here at home to protect our citizens,” Ricketts told reporters.

President Barack Obama has promised the US will take 10,000 Syrian refugees, fleeing their country’s civil war.

Ricketts said none should be admitted until security concerns are satisfied.

“Again, what I’m asking our agencies to do is to decline to participate until we’ve had a chance to really go through the security vetting process. I think the events in Paris really highlight that we have to make sure that our citizens here at home are secure,” Ricketts said. “We certainly don’t want to be reactive and have an incident first. We want to take proactive steps; do the best job we can to protect our citizens.”